Lock-controlled electric switch



July 3, 1928. 1,675,737

E. L. TElcH LOCK CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 27, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 fff INVENTOR.

BY E v A TTOREYS.

July 3, 192s. h1,675,737

E. L. TEICH LOCK CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 2.7, 1926 2Sheets-Shea?l 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE S.

Patented July 3, 19.28. i

f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST L. TEICH, OF NEWBRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANHARDWARE CORPORATION, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0FCONNECTICUT.

LOCK-CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SWITCH.

yApplication filed November 27, 1926. Serial No. 151,057.

My invention relates to electric switches and has lor its object toprovide a new and improved lock-controlled electric switch. It furtherhas for its object to provide a iush lock-controlled electricswit-ch inwhich the switch mechanism can he any of the c usual types of iushrotary snap switches and the lockand switch mechanism can be separatelymanufactured and assembled with the switch mechanism as desired. It lfurther has for its object to provide. a flush switch -in which the lockmechanism is secured against removal so long as the switch is installed.It further has for its object to provide a Hush lockswitch having anenclosed indicating dial. The following is a description of anemlmdiment of my invention reference being had to the. accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l shows partly in side elevation and partly in section anelectric switche1nbodying my invention;

Fig. 2is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3, Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, on a reduced.

scale, of the switch showing it installed with its face plate inposition;

Fig.l 5 is a detail showing a front view of the receptacle cover'andparts carried thereby.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the same; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77, Fig. 5. Referring moreparticularly to the drawings, 2 is the cuplike porcelain base of a flushswitch which is mounted within the ordinary wall case 4. This switch maybe of any usual flush switch construction, of

which. there are a number on the marketv at the present time, andcomprises an actuating shaft 6 within the receptacle and axial therewithand binding posts 8. To the outer end of this shaft 6 I secure acoupling member 10 shown in the form of a plate, having notches -12 withwhich engagev projections 14 carried by a cooperating platelike couplingmember 16 carried by the ad# jacent end of the plug of the lock. Thisplate -16 as shownis provided with a slot tilting over an oblongprojection 18 on the end of the plug 20 of a'pin tumbler lock, beingsecured to said plug by the screws 22.

Thisvpin tumbler lock is of ordinary pin- 'its cylinder casing 26 isprovided with four sets of spring-pressed drivers 28 spaced apart fromeach other by 9() degrees, as shown in Fig. 2 instez of a single seriesof drivers. The cylinder 26 being stationary, the plug 20 can be rotatedby the usual key- 30, turning the snap switch so that it moves insuccessive steps QOdegrees for each step in the usual manner, the key 30being removable and insertable at the completion of each step on accountof the four sets ot'. drivers 28 so as to'lock and unlock the plug atany one of said four points.

In order to secure the lock in place, I mount the cylinder 26 rigidly ina metal plate 32 which constitutes a cover for the mouth of the cup-likereceptacle 2. This cover is cut away atv 34 so as to lexpose the bindingposts 8 of a two-pole switch. The cover 32 is provided with ends havingopenings 36. These ends are located beneath the usual switch ears 38 andare held in place by screws 40 whose ,heads are at thev rear of theporcelain base 2 so as to be-i11accessible when the switch is installed.These screws pass through portions 42 of the porcelain base and 'throughthe holes 36 of the cover 32 and make screw-threaded engagement with theusual holes in ear pieces 38, as shown in the lower part of Fig. Al. Thescrews 40 being inaccessible so long as the switch is installed, thecover 32 cannot be removed so as to remove the lock without removing thereceptacle.` lVhen. however, the switch is out of its casing, the cover32'can easily be removed hy removing the screws 4() so that the lock canbe' separated from the switch mechanism. proper. The ears 38 are securedto the wall case 4 in the ordinary manner by screws 44. The,

face of the lock cylinder 28, while the' portions 64 coacting withcorresponding surfaces on the plug prevent rthe dial from rotatingrelatively to the`plug so that as the plug moves step by step, the dialalso moves step by step and indicates through the opening 56 thesuccessive positions of the switch mechanism.

While the supplemental cover 52 canbe removed upon removal of the faceplate 46 this'does not enable one to remove the lock or actuate theswitch, the function of the supplemental cover 52 being simply toprovide a finish and an indicating opening.

',The manufacturer of these lock switches can manufacture' only theswitch portion lwith the coupling member 10 aiixed to the shaft 6, andobtain thelock portion with its cover 3 2 from alock manufacturer, ifdesired, and assemble a switch portion and V lock portion together, asshown in Fig. 1,

so that the switch together with the lock can be sold and installed asa'unit, and by reason of the manner in which the lock is heldv to thebase by the screws 40, the lock can not j be removed after the switchhas been nstalled. y

The lock cylinder 26is preferably s ecuid to the cover 32 by means ofscrews 68 which ,pass `through lugs 70 upon the cover 32 which lugsenter recesses'formed on the rear face of the cylinder as indicated inFig. 3 between adjacent groups of drivers 28. These screws are of courseinaccessible so long as the cover A32 is secured to the switch base,yand hold the lock against removal so long as the ,switch to ether with`the lock applied thereto isinsta led.

As will be evident to thoseskilled'in the art, my invention permitsvarious modifications without departing fromthe spirit thereoforthescope of vWhat I claim is:

1. In an electric switch the combination of a cup-like base, a switchmechanism conthe appended claims.

tained within said base and having an axial one of four rotatableactuating shaft, a cover for the mouth of said cup-like base, a lockcarried by said `cover and having a rotatable key? controlled plugadapted to be locked in any key, separab e coacting coupling ymemberssecured to adjacent ends of said plug and shaft, respectively, andscrews passing through said cup-like base from 4 rear .to

1positions upon removal f the n front and securing, said cover thereto,the' casing of said lock projecting on both sides of said cover, andhaving on its rear side reentrant portions, said cover havingprojections extending into said `reentr'ant portions, and screws havingrearwardly'facing heads securing said projections to' said portions. j

2. In an `-clectricswitch the combination of a cup-like base, a switchmechanism contained within said base and having an axial rotatableactuating shaft, a cover for the mouth ot' said cup-like base, a lockcarried by said cover and having a rotatable key-controlled plug adaptedto be locked in any onev of four positions upon removal of the key,

lseparable eoacting coupling members secured to adjacent ends of saidplug and shaft, respectively, screws passing through said cuplike basefrom rear to front land securing said cover thereto, an auxiliarycoverfor said lock secured to the outer face of said iii-st cover, said'auxiliary cover having a Window, and a dial secured to said plugso as torotate therewith and having indicating symbols visible' through saidwindow.

3. In an electric switch the combination ofa cup-like base, aswitchmechanism contained within said base having an axial rotatableactuating shaft, a cover for the mouth ofsaid cup-like base, a lockcarried by said cover and having a rotatable key-controlled plug adaptedto be locked in any one of four positions upon removal of the key,separable coacting coupling members secured to adjacent ends of saidplugand shaft, respectively, ears for securing said base in po sitionwhen installed, said ears overlying the ends of said cover and screwspassing through said base from rear to front andengaging said ears so asto hold said ears and cover 1n position. t

4. In an electric switch the combination of a cup-like base, a'switchmechanism contained within said base and having an axial rotatableactuating shaft, a cover for the mouth of said cup-like base,y a lockcarried by said cover and having a rotatable keycontrolled plug adaptedto be locked in any one of four positions upon removal of the key,separable coacting coupling members secured to adjacent ends of saidplug and shaft, respectively, screws passing throughU said cup-like basfrom rear to vfront and securing said cover thereto, an auxiliary coverfor said lock secured to safid first cover, and a face plate having anopening through which said auxiliary cover protrudes also secured tosaid first cover.

In testimony whereof,v I have si ed my name to this specificationthis23r day of November, 1926.

